Xi's Plans to Shift From Growth-at-Any-Cost Strategy as Big a Factor as Economic Conditions

BEIJING—Chinese President Xi Jinping's plans to shift the economy away from a growth-at-any-cost strategy means that China's GDP rise over the coming year will depend as much on political decisions as on economic conditions at home and abroad.

After China said Friday that its third quarter GDP growth accelerated to 7.8%, year over year, from 7.5% in the prior quarter, Chinese officials said the country would have trouble sustaining...